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The City of El Cerrito recently embarked on a classification and compensation study, ostensibly to address the challenge of attracting qualified candidates to fill vacant positions. They assert that low salaries are the primary reason for their recruitment struggles. But City Leadership moved to the 51st State of Denial and refuse to face reality.
City Manager Update September 2023: The City Council approved a contract with Koff and Associates for a Citywide classification/compensation study on July 19, 2022. Koff and Associates began their work as of August 31, 2022 and the study had been slated to be completed in September 2023. However, again, as previously noted: the City does not expect that the completion of this study will result in reducing costs, rather it is expected to confirm that the City’s salaries are below market in many areas….The City Council understands that because this group’s salary ranges were frozen for three years, the current salary ranges and control points are behind the market and are now lower than similar positions of nearby cities……it is now understood that the study will instead highlight how far behind the market many of the City’s positions are.
El Cerrito staff are already among the highest-paid employees therefore increasing salaries will not address the city’s recruiting challenges and will only add more pressure to the ongoing financial woes.
Moreover, we believe that this narrow focus on wages overlooks the multitude of factors that affect a candidate’s decision to join an organization. In this blog post, we will delve deeper into El Cerrito’s issues and shed light on the broader context that needs consideration.
The True Factors Influencing Candidate Choices
Before we dissect El Cerrito’s predicament, it’s crucial to understand what truly matters to professionals when considering a job opportunity. Numerous studies, including those conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the federal government’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, have consistently shown that salary is not the sole driving factor for top talent.
El Cerrito’s Unique Context
- Lack of Employee Protection: In 2019, a public records request revealed that the city paid a substantial settlement of $544,341 to an employee, Ms. Perez, without admitting liability. Three current council members were part of the decision-making process, further complicating the issue.
- Inconsistent Financial Management: El Cerrito’s budget decisions have not consistently aligned with employee compensation concerns. For instance, reducing library hours to save $58,000 contrasts sharply with the sizable settlement paid to a former police officer. The lack of a clear strategy to prevent such incidents from recurring exacerbates the problem, putting taxpayers at risk of future payouts.
- Leadership Accountability: Recent events in October 2023 have also raised concerns about the leadership’s conduct. During a City Council Meeting, City Manager Karen Pinkos was heard using profanity towards an employee. Before the outburst, current and previous employees reported consistent and persistent yelling at employees. Such toxic behavior undermines the trust and professionalism expected from public officials and may deter potential candidates.
- High-performing Professional and Technical employees require interesting work. El Cerrito has an unusually high reliance on consultants who primarily function as an extra pair of hands (employees) that perform the most challenging and exciting work. This management style deters high-performing candidates from selecting El Cerrito.
One might wonder why we reference studies conducted in larger, more corporate settings when discussing El Cerrito, a quiet bedroom community. This is a valid question, and we’re happy to explain. El Cerrito may retain its small-town charm, but its spending habits are more reminiscent of a metropolitan city. This disparity between spending and revenue creates a mismatch between the city’s identity and its financial practices, making it harder to attract qualified candidates.
The Issues Facing El Cerrito
El Cerrito’s classification and compensation study should not be solely fixated on increasing salaries. To attract qualified candidates effectively, the city must address the broader issues of governance. Policies focused on employee protection, financial management, and leadership accountability.
By aligning its practices with the priorities of modern professionals and implementing measures to foster a healthy work environment, El Cerrito can ensure that its recruitment challenges become a thing of the past. It’s time for El Cerrito to focus on the bigger picture and build a brighter future for both the city and its potential employees.
Here is how you can help:
- Share this post with other residents.
- Comment on the post
- Attend the monthly Financial Advisory Board meetings in person.
- Post on Next Door
- Voice your concerns with the Council.
- Council meetings are remote and in-person, but public comment is now limited to in-person attendees.
If you want to contact City Council Members or the City Managers, all their emails are below:
- Karen Pinkos-City Manager kpinkos@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilperson Gabe Quinto gquinto@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilperson Carolyn Wysinger cywysinger@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilperson Tessa Rudnick trudnick@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Mayor Lisa Motoyama lmotoyama@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
- Councilperson Paul Fadelli pfadelli@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 